The red squirrel is one of the UK's most iconic native mammals, now confined to strongholds in Scotland, Northumberland, and a few other areas due to competition and disease pressure from introduced grey squirrels.
Individual red squirrels face welfare challenges from squirrelpox infection, which causes fatal skin lesions and systemic illness, and from starvation during winters when cache food is inadequate. Grey squirrel competition reduces food availability and can displace reds from optimal habitat. Conservation programmes that control grey squirrel numbers, while controversial, directly reduce disease transmission and competition, improving welfare outcomes for red squirrel populations.